DC Council Game 64: Wizards 101 vs Bobcats 73: 101 Ways To Skin A Cat

[The DC Council — After each Wizards game: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the bench, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is over the table. Game 64 contributors: Ryan Gracia(@rgracia2378)and Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20) from behind the television screen, and Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) and Kyle Weidie(@truth_about_it) from the Verizon Center.]

Score

Stat of the Game

The Wizards scored 56 points in the paint. Take away points from free throws, and Charlotte scored 54 points on shots from anywhere on the court.

In terms of lineups, Shelvin Mack, Cartier Martin, Mo Evans, James Singleton and Nene played 10 minutes together, made 11 of their 13 shots, and led the Wizards with a plus-15 plus/minus.

For Charlotte, starters D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson, Derrick Brown, Bismack Biyombo played 23 minutes together and actually had a plus-3 in the plus/minus department (kind of embarrassing for the Wizards, eh?).

Scene of the Game

Paul Silas on guarding John Wall…

“Well, you know, normally we would try and send him to his off hand, but we get kind of confused with that…”

D.C. Flag 3-Star Ratings

w/ Ryan Gracia, Adam McGinnis and Rashad Mobley

<***> Rating the Starting 5, Bench & Coach out of 3 stars.

John Wall

ADAM McGINNIS: The Game Changer earned his nickname with a dominant performance, finishing with 16 points and 14 assists. Wall struggled early with finishing by relying on throwing wild shots up at the rim. He settled down and basically went anywhere he wanted to go on the court.3 Stars(out of 3)

GRACIA: Maybe I’m in a good mood after this four-game winning streak by giving Wall three stars for his performance against the Bobcats, but he really acted as the true pass-first point guard and floor general that we all envisioned him being. He was cool, calm and collected, driving the lane or finding teammates early in the offense for plenty of easy dunks. A solid 53.8-percent from the field for 16 points to add to his impressive 14 assists (half of the team’s total) and only two turnovers is real classy.3 Stars

MOBLEY: In his pregame interview with Comcast SportsNet’s Phil Chenier, Wall talked about the importance of a four game win streak and not letting up just because the Bobcats were coming. At halftime, when the Wizards were up 24, Wall told Chris Miller that they couldn’t let up, and at the end of the game, Wall’s stats (16 points, 14 assists and just two turnovers in 30 minutes) showed that he backed up his words and led the team.2.75 Stars

TOTAL: 8.75 out of 9 stars

Jordan Crawford

RASHAD MOBLEY: After shooting 2-for-14 and scoring just seven points against Miami, Crawford downplayed his sore ankle as the culprit. On Monday night, Crawford shot less (a real red flag), made just one shot, and scored just two points. Five of his eight shots were taken behind the arc, which was yet another indicator that Crawford’s confidence in that ankle was low. Luckily for him, the Wizards shot 55.4-percent as a team, so they didn’t need his scoring. Although, without Crawford’s 1-for-8 performance, that percentage would have jumped to 60.1 Star (out of 3)

GRACIA: Possibly bothered by his injured ankle, J-Craw’s 1-for-8 outing, including 0-for-5 from downtown, is usually cause for extreme concern since so much of the Wizards’ scoring punch comes from his hand. But with only 20 minutes of court time and the rest of his teammates shooting 45-for-75 (60 percent), it was easy to forget Crawford’s struggles and instead focus on the dominating display from the team as a whole.0.5 Star

TOTAL: 1.5 out of 9 stars

Chris Singleton

ADAM McGINNIS: Chris was invisible for most of the contest but did contribute a major slam. Hopefully he can add more of these drives to his game moving forward. He finished with seven points on 3-for-7 shooting (missed two 3-pointers), two rebounds and one foul in 24 minutes.1 Star

GRACIA: Not too much production from Singleton against the Bobcats, but I like when he slashes to the hoop, like he did early in the third quarter for a nice dunk, rather than settling for jump shots. He needs to choose this option more often.1 Star

MOBLEY: Perhaps my TAI colleagues can find something positive from Singleton’s performance against the Bobcats, because I cannot. Seraphin and Vesely are dangling all kinds of late season talent before the eyes of fans and coaches. Singleton is just a wallflower.0.25 Star

TOTAL: 2.25 out of 9 stars

Jan Vesely

RYAN GRACIA: Great stuff from the rook. Perfect from the field, a career-high 16 points, six boards, four steals, and only one turnover? I’ll ignore the occasional fumbling of some passes –- some due to youthful lackadaisical-ness as the Wizards were on cruise control in the second half –- and say that Vesely played a damn-near perfect game.3 Stars

MOBLEY: Phil Chenier summed up Vesely’s night best when he said, “He just finds way to score without shooting jumpshots.” Once upon a time in a galaxy not that far away, Vesely would shoot an occasionally awkward jumpshot, then retreat into a non-shooting mode. On this night he scored on hooks, drives and layups, and he peppered in six rebounds and six steals. The “yeah, but it’s Charlotte” excuse could be applied here, but rookies need and thrive on confidence, and Vesely played with that and more.2.75 Stars

TOTAL: 8.25 out of 9 stars

Kevin Seraphin

RASHAD MOBLEY: Nene is getting healthier by the minute, which means that Seraphin’s time to shine is lessened just a bit. But even in those 26 minutes of playing time, Seraphin amassed 12 points and 8 rebounds. More importantly, he has achieved mastery with his hook shot from either side of the floor. He scored over B.J. Mullens, DeSagna Diop, and Bismack Biyombo — not exactly three the hard way, but much like Vesely, Seraphin is gaining (and playing with) a tremendous amount of confidence.1.75 Stars(out of 3)

GRACIA: Seraphin got off to a slow start but his array of hook shots, confidence shooting with both hands, and maneuvering ability on the block is really impressive for a guy his size. Add the smart basketball brain that’s between his ears and we have the makings of a great interior presence in a healthy frontcourt with Nene next season.2 Stars

McGINNIS: Kevin was efficiently productive and really has mastered the pull-the-chair post defense, DeSagana Diop fell victim to his go-to move on this night.2 stars

TOTAL: 5.75 out of 9 stars

The Bench

RASHAD MOBLEY: The Wizards’ starters gave the bench a 31-22 first quarter head start, which means it was up to the lineup of Mo Evans, Cartier Martin, James Singleton, Nene and Shelvin Mack to maintain (and not lose) that cushion. From the start of the second quarter until the 6:17 mark, when the starters began trickling back in, the bench outscored the Bobcats 18-6. The Wizards’ bench (led by Nene who went 4-for-4) shot 10-for-14 (71%) during that span, and basically allowed the starters to be on cruise control for the remainder of the game. Wall and Vesely put up the flashy stats, but an MVP-of-the-game argument can be made for the bench as well.3 Stars(out of 3)

Sub Man of the Game: Nenê

GRACIA: From the start, when Nene, Cartier Martin and Maurice Evans all hit their first jumpers off the bench, I knew it was going to be a good night. Singleton showed his muscles grabbing nine boards and Nene led the second group with 18 points as they outscored Charlotte’s bench 48 to 19 in the points department. I’m lovin’ it.3 Stars

Sub Man of the Game: Nenê

McGINNIS: Nene led the charge of the reserves, and he was unstoppable for a stretch in the second quarter. He even busted out some off-the-dribble move for an And-One on Bismack Biyombo.2 Stars

Sub Man of the Game: Nenê

BENCH TOTAL: 8 out of 9 stars

The Coach: Randy Wittman

RYAN GRACIA: Wittman did a tremendous job splitting time between his players and nearly everyone made worthwhile contributions. Ten Wizards played more than 18 minutes and none played more than 30 minutes in the blowout win. That’s time management at its finest.3 Stars

McGINNIS: With team president Ernie Grunfeld extended, the focus now shifts to the fate of Randy Wittman and whether the interim label is removed. He is making a case for himself by handling a tough situation and leading the Wizards to their first four game winning streak since December 2007.2.5 Stars

MOBLEY: All that is good and respectable about Coach Randy Wittman’s three-month head coaching stint could be seen during the last few seconds of the first half. John Wall had just found Jan Vesely for an alley-oop and all of the Verizon Center (and apparently the Wizards) were wrapped up in the moment — too wrapped to notice that Gerald Henderson was in the process of scoring a quick layup on the other end. The Wizards were up 24 on the worst team in the league, and Wittman was still furious at the blown layup. His starting point guard — an extension of the head coach — got that message loud and clear the entire game.2.5 Stars

COACH TOTAL: 8 out of 9 stars

Seen on the Scene

“It is bad timing to pursue this issue. There was not one breaking point, but a rash of independent decisions by Fisher, his misconduct in the NBA lockout. This was not a close vote … Fisher is not President Obama and can just veto stuff. We make decisions as a group and share equal power … We will deal with it in the summer and do not want this to be a distraction during the playoffs. We will not air our dirty laundry, not fair to Derek Fisher or our members. We decided as a group to keep our reasons amongst us internally and not play it out in the media.”

>> Before every Wizards home game, there is Chapel service for the players. Mo Evans told me that usually 3-5 players show up, which includes regulars such as Shelvin Mack and Andray Blatche. Evans and Roger Mason would take turns leading the service along with Pastor Jenkins, but with Mason no longer officially part of the team, Evans now runs them solo. He sat in his locker stall before the Bobcats, highlighting a passage in the Bible that he used that night.

The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

>> In the locker room before the game, the Wizards last win in Charlotte was being replayed on a large video screen. James Singleton pointed out to Jordan Crawford a play where he should have ran the ball through the post. During pre-game warm ups, James was instructing Seraphin how to use certain up and under post moves. This is how veteran leadership plays out in practicality, and it will be highly disappointing if Singleton is not in training camp next season.

>> The only media members of the Charlotte Bobcats covering game was their Fox Sports South TV crew; beat writer Rick Bonnell of Charlotte Observer was not in attendance.

End Scene

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:

“I was more nervous this game than I was any game in the last month… it’s just human nature sometimes.”

Kyle founded TAI in 2007 and has been weaving in and out the world of Wizards ever since, ducking WittmanFaces, jumping over G-Wiz, and avoiding stints on the DNP-Conditioning list. He has covered the Washington pro basketball team as a member of the media since 2009. Kyle currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, loves basketball, and has no pets.

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Truth About It.net, Washington Wizards Blog, ESPN TrueHoop Network -- Following the D.C. pro basketball franchise since the 90s and covering them in blog form since 2007 -- Opinion, Analysis, Irreverence, Pictures, Video, Interviews, Photoshops, News, Video, Quotes, Shares, and all the pixels about the Washington Wizards you can imagine.